Dale Earnhardt Jr. reacts to Niece Motorsports parting ways with Kaden Honeycutt ahead of playoffs

Dale Earnhardt Jr. had some interesting thoughts on the situation between Niece Motorsports and Kaden Honeycutt. On the Dale Jr. Download podcast, Earnhardt reacted to Niece releasing Honeycutt before the start of the NASCAR Truck Series playoffs.

“Honeycutt is 73 points above the cut line for the playoffs,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. “I don’t remember hearing anything like this before, where a guy got a new job or next year, so you fire him. I’m sure it’s happened, but it feels like this is something that maybe went down in the ’70s or ’80s. It’s nothing that’s happened recently.”

On Monday, Niece Motorsports announced it has released Kaden Honeycutt, saying he had signed with a different team and manufacturer for the 2026 season. Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports reported that Honeycutt has likely signed with Tricon Garage/Toyota for next season.

Earnhardt talked about Honeycutt potentially joining Tricon. “I have zero problem with a driver getting a different deal and going somewhere else,” Earnhardt stated. “Now, you’d like some loyalty, you’d like some commitment. You’ve given Kaden this chance, Niece has given him this chance to get into the Truck Series. Well, he used that opportunity, and he’s going to go somewhere better and different.”

Kaden Honeycutt joins Halmar Friesen Racing for the remainder of the Truck Series season

On Tuesday, Halmar Friesen Racing announced that Honeycutt will substitute as the driver of the team’s No. 52 Toyota for the final eight races of the Truck Series Season. He will replace Stewart Friesen, who is currently recovering from serious injuries suffered in a crash at a Super DIRTcar Series event in Canada on July 28.

“It’s an honor to be able to fill in for Stewart for the rest of the season and help give his team a chance at the owner’s championship, which they earned,” Honeycutt said, per NASCAR.com. “I’m excited to compete in contending, race-winning equipment as I pursue a title this season. We are going to work hard to have a solid final eight races of the season and continue to deliver great results for Stewart, his family and this organization.”

Honeycutt drove for Niece for the last two years, but began racing full-time for the team this season. The 22-year-old recorded nine top-10 finishes this year, with two of the finishes being in the top three.